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| Quinn Wants to Change Lt. Gov. Nomination Process |
Gov. Pat Quinn wants a change in the way candidates for lieutenant governor are nominated.
Since the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run together in the general election, they should run together in the primary, the governor says. "As time goes on, it'll be seen as probably the best way to make sure that the lieutenant governor and the governor work together," he says.
The state Constitution allows this change to be made by statute:
Article V, Section 4 -- Joint Election -- "In the general election for governor and lieutenant governor, one vote shall be cast jointly for the candidates nominated by the same political party or petition. The General Assembly may provide by law for the joint nomination of candidates for governor and lieutenant governor."
The issue is of concern because Democratic primary voters have twice in the last 24 years nominated lieutenant governor candidates who were unacceptable to the top of the ticket -- including Scott Lee Cohen this year, who agreed to withdraw this week. Cohen has a history of domestic violence, the details of which came to light after last week's primary.
In 1986, Democratic primary voters nominated Mark Fairchild for lieutenant governor. He was a part of the LaRouche movement, described by some as a cult. Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic nominee for governor, refused to run with him. He left the Democratic ticket and ran as an independent, but lost badly.
Quinn, who became governor by being lieutenant governor when Gov. Rod Blagojevich was thrown out of office, acknowledges he never would have been lieutenant governor if he had to be picked by Blagojevich. He was nominated independently in the primaries.
(Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 02 09 10 by Newsroom |
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